The Tories want to 'take back control' of our working rights

This week, only 18 months after the referendum and nine months after triggering Article 50, Theresa May met with senior ministers to discuss their post-Brexit visions. High on the list of things to 'take back control' of includes working people's rights — some Conservative MPs want to scrap the 'EU working time directive', which was set up to protect the health and safety of working people.  

  

The EU directive gives workers the right to at least 20 days of paid holiday a year, rest breaks and, importantly, the right to work no more than 48 hours a week. As stated on the government's own website, UK workers can easily opt out of the 48 hour working week so long as they don't work in certain industries or roles (such as delivery drivers and airline staff, for obvious safety reasons). Essentially, employees are already able to work overtime, should they choose to, but employers are not able to demand their employees work overtime. 

The Sun took a rather interestingly positive spin on scrapping the EU working time directive excitedly claiming this would be an 'an overtime bonanza'. In their own words — the 'shackles come off...families can earn more by working longer hours'. There were never any shackles though, as workers have always been able to opt out of the 48 hour week (excluding those mentioned above for safety reasons). Either the editors of the Sun are unable to comprehend the relatively straight forward opt-out clause, or they've been out wining and dining with Theresa May again. Or Michael Gove.

At this point, it is worth remembering that Theresa May allegedly hid nine reports showing that immigration has had little effect on wages or employment levels in the UK. At the same time, with uncertainty over Brexit, many EU workers are choosing not to come to the UK, and there are already several industries reporting a shortage of workers. By transferring worker's rights to their employers, the government are enabling employers to pressure workers into longer hours to cover for the shortfall in staff. This would not benefit their workers in any new way, and additionally seven million people would also loose their right to paid holidays, according to the TUC.

Theresa May pledged to protect the rights of workers, but now she is in a weak position with little authority over her government. Our rights must not be discarded under the illusion of an 'overtime bonanza'. It's time the public were given a sensible debate and a meaningful say in the future of the UK. Based on facts, and not on false promises and hidden agendas.